Diagnosis Guide for Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder directly affects your behaviors and moods. You experience day-to-day changes in your emotions and feelings that affect your life intensely. The intense changes in your mood and emotions while experiencing bipolar disorder are very different from your usual moods and feelings. People generally take it easy but understanding the bipolar disorder and diagnosis of bipolar disorder is not a simple thing. There are multiple tests and techniques that may help you diagnose this mental and emotional condition.

However, some times, people who show distinct symptoms related to bipolar discover that they don’t need any blood or other type of test to confirm the condition. But when the symptoms are not quite obvious, doctors have to use a combination of techniques and tests to make a bipolar disorder diagnosis.

Who Needs A Diagnosis Procedure?

Bipolar disorder is commonly indicated by the intense mood episodes. A person experiencing the condition surely feels different emotions. The episodes, sometimes, become manic (high) while other times they appear as depressive episodes (lows). 

Studies show that the episodes last for several days, weeks or months. Manic and depressive (high and low) episodes tend to alternate with one another. Sometimes, people experience bipolar disorder for longer durations but they also show neutral or balanced moods as well. 

Research suggested that masonic episodes of bipolar disorder tend to vary person to person but its episodes involve same symptoms like:

• Having racing thoughts.
• Often feeling all powerful.
• Often feeling very low.
• Often feeling tense, high or elated.
• Masking harmful decisions.
• Having little appetite.
• Having little need for sleep.

But during depressive episode, you may experience the other end of spectrum, such as:

• Sleeping more.
• Having feelings of self-hatred.
• Having suicidal thoughts.
• Feeling intense emptiness, sadness or hopelessness.
• Eating more.
• Losing interest in activities you usually enjoyed.
• Experiencing trouble in completing tasks or concentrating.

How to Get Prepared for an Adult Bipolar Disorder Diagnosis?

The first step to diagnose bipolar disorder is visiting a professional healthcare provider. They may start with a thorough physical examination, then ask questions about your medical history. They also may discuss the symptoms you’re experiencing, mood swings and family history. 

After this, if your healthcare professional comes to the point that you have bipolar disorder, they may refer you to a professional certified psychiatrist. Psychiatrists start evaluating your mental health more precisely. They do this by asking some questions, including:

• When did you first experience such symptoms?
• What type of symptoms are you experiencing these days?
• Did anyone in your family had similar symptoms or diagnosed with bipolar disorder?
• How do your emotions and thoughts change during manic or depressive episodes?
• Have you ever used substance misuse?
• Can you feel yourself able to control your mania?
• How long does an episode last?
• Do you ever have thoughts of self harm or committing suicide?

In addition, your psychiatrist also involves your friends and family members to learn about your behaviors.

Studies suggest that diagnosis of bipolar disorder usually starts when you have at least one manic and one depressive episode. Other factors making you accountable for bipolar disorder diagnosis include your family history, your medical history, medications you used to take and circumstances you’re living in.

Diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder in Children

If you think that bipolar disorder is just an adult condition, you’re wrong. The condition also affects children. Bipolar disorder diagnosis in children is more difficult than in adults because the symptoms in children are often mimic to some other mental health conditions, such as:

• Conduct disorders.
• Anxiety disorders.
• Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder.
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
• Depression.

Common symptoms observed in children with bipolar disorder include:

• Emotional outbursts.
• Mania (aggressive mood).
• Periods of sadness.
• Impulsiveness.
• Hyperactivity.
• Irritability.

Research has shown that doctors and professional psychiatrists follow the same procedures for diagnosis of bipolar disorder in children as for adults. However, they don’t have a single definitive test to confirm the condition in children. Therefore, they prefer to administer test batteries to determine whether a child is suffering from bipolar disorder or not. So, they follow the pattern of comprehensive evaluation that includes asking questions about a child’s mood changes, behavior and sleeping routine.

As most of the symptoms of bipolar disorder in children, like hyperactivity, irritability, emotional outburst and impulsiveness are similar to ADHD, psychiatrists often get confused while distinguishing between them. It becomes challenging for them. But, professionals, sometimes, as some questions from parents to get more information about symptoms, including:

• How many hours your child often sleeps a day?
• How much time does your child often spend as an irritable or aggressive child?
• How often does your child experience emotional outburst?

They also ask questions about family history so that they may find a link of depression or bipolar disorder in the ancestors of your child. They also involve the checkup of thyroid function in your child to point out any underactive thyroid.

How to Rule Out Other Conditions?

Bipolar disorder is generally diagnosed through simple brain scans or blood tests because there are no specific tests to diagnose the condition specifically. Therefore, doctors usually perform complete physical examinations and other lab tests like urine analysis and thyroid function tests to confirm the condition. These tests help them to find out if any other condition or factor is causing the symptoms similar to bipolar disorder.

According to studies, thyroid function tests help measure the functioning efficiency of your thyroid gland. Your thyroid gland secretes some hormones that help maintain balance in several body functions. The lower levels of these hormones, known as hypothyroidism , can cause many harmful impacts on your body and brain. The underproduction of thyroid hormones can result in increase in mood disorders and development of depressive symptoms. 

According to an old research, many symptoms of thyroid problems are similar to bipolar disorder that may be caused by the negative effects of certain medications. When other possible causes are ruled out, your doctor casually refers you to a psychologist or mental health specialist.

There are some conditions that are similar to bipolar disorder due to which diagnosis of bipolar disorder becomes difficult. But it is also a reality that you may get affected by other mental health conditions along with bipolar disorder.

For example, you may experience symptoms of psychosis like delusions, hallucinations and hearing voices along with manic episodes of bipolar disorder. In such a situation, you may be diagnosed as a person suffering from schizophrenia but it is actually bipolar disorder. Similarly, people having bipolar disorder often experience symptoms similar to anxiety disorders, eating disorders. ADHD, and substance use disorder that indicates the presence of other mental health conditions.

Race and Gender Discrepancies in Bipolar Disorder Diagnosis

According to an estimate, around 5% of the adult population in the country have been affected by bipolar disorder. However, it affects all gender and races at a similar  rate, studies say. But there’s still a difference between how people experience the symptoms and how they receive diagnosis. 

According to research:

• Women are at greater risk of developing symptoms of major depressive disorder.
• Men are at greater risk of developing symptoms of mania and substance misuse.
• Transgender community has higher rates of diagnosis of bipolar disorder.
• Women are more likely to receive a proper diagnosis of bipolar disorder than men.

On the basis of race, there are also discrepancies. For example, black people often get misdiagnosed with schizophrenia and find less opportunities to treat their bipolar disorder. Hispanic people in the country also tend to more likely misdiagnose with schizophrenia, therefore have inadequate chances to treat bipolar disorder. 

Misdiagnosis of Bipolar Disorder

At early stages, the condition is often misdiagnosed, especially when the victims are teenagers. At this age, people often take it as something else. Therefore, the late or misdiagnosis is a major cause of worsening of symptoms. The wrong treatment also makes the situation out of control. 

In addition, inconsistency in the timeline of behavior and emotional distress also leads to misdiagnosis. Other factors include the late treatment and lack of experience. Most people do not think about the treatment at early stages and get affected by depressive episodes as well. Some recent studies show that the misdiagnosis rate for bipolar disorder has increased many folds in recent decades and reached 80%. 

Moreover, the similarity of symptoms of bipolar disorder with other mental health conditions also creates severity in the symptoms. People often misdiagnose it as:

• A personality disorder.
• Inferiority complex.
• Depression.
• Schizophrenia.
• Anxiety.
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

However, sometimes, certain factors help the professionals in getting it right including family history, mood disorder questionnaire, and fast recurring episodes of depression. Therefore, whenever you experience any symptoms of depression or anxiety, talk to your doctor to perform a thorough physical and mental examination so that the bipolar disorder diagnosis can be done in time.

What Happens after Diagnosis of A Bipolar Disorder?

Bipolar disorder is recognized as a mix of different emotions. For example, you may experience happiness, shock and sadness simultaneously for a single incident. This is a long-term condition but it can be treated through a combination of medication and therapy. 

The common options for bipolar therapy include:

• Interpersonal therapy.
• Talk therapy or psychotherapy.
• Family -focused therapy.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

The most common medications prescribed for the treatment of bipolar disorder include:

• Antidepressants.
• Anticionvulsants.
• Lithium supplements.
• Second-generation antipsychosis.

Types of Bipolar Disorder Must be Diagnosed Properly

Common categories of bipolar disorder are:

Bipolar Disorder I: This type of disorder includes a mix of depressive and manic episodes but it also includes a major depressive episode. The important thing is the episodes do not occur due to substance misuse or a medical condition. It relates to something else.

Bipolar Disorder II: This type includes more than one episode of major depressive phase. It also includes at least one hypomanic episode. Although you may not experience a pure manic episode, there may be a mix of episodes.

Rapid-Cycling Bipolar Disorder: This type is associated with the occurrence of most severe episodes of major depression including hypomania, mania and mixed within 10 to 12 months. Their number sometimes exceeds three episodes.

Not Otherwise Specified (NOS):  This category is clearly recognized due to its symptoms that do not fit in any other type of bipolar disorder. This means it includes multiple symptoms of the condition that are not enough to meet the criteria for any other subtype of bipolar. In this condition, you may develop mood changes that can’t last long as a depressive, clinical or manic episode. It includes multiple hypomanic episodes without a major depressive episode.

When Should You Have a Diagnostic Bipolar Disorder?

Diagnosis of bipolar disorder is often misdiagnosed and takes years to get a proper diagnosis. However, a certified healthcare professional can help you evaluate your condition. This process takes a few weeks. 

There’s no distinction for children, teens and adults, when they go for diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Because the condition can hit you at any age of life. Making an appointment with a certified professional can help- you get a timely diagnosis. They may examine you and your mental and physical health states. To find out possible medical causes for your symptoms. 

When they suspect any symptom of bipolar disorder, they refer to a psychiatrist for better evaluation and confirmation of diagnosis.

Conclusion

Symptoms like mood episodes  which also include depressive and manic states are the signs of bipolar disorder. Therefore, diagnosis of bipolar disorder involves assessing your mood changes that vary from time to time. 

The procedure of diagnosis includes understanding the experiences you are feeling but cant explain to others. The process also involves the comprehensive study of your mental health evaluation along with your family history. After studying these factors, psychiatrists usually aim to differentiate bipolar disorder from other mental health conditions like ADHD and depression.

Although living with a bipolar condition is challenging, a proper and in time diagnosis can help you on a path to feel better and lead a healthier and happier life. 

So it is best to receive a timely and accurate diagnosis.